Face and voice

Face of a King

After the Greyfriars bones had been scanned, a 3D scan of the skull was sent to the University of Dundee where the muscles and skin were modelled by Caroline Wilkinson, Professor of Craniofacial Identification at the University of Dundee, using a computer process known as stereolithography.

Michael Ibsen alongside the facial reconstruction of Richard III produced by University of Dundee and funded by the Richard III Society

This work, which was commissioned and funded by the Richard III Society, resulted in a lifelike bust of the king which was shown on Channel 4 documentary Richard III: The King in the Car Park. The bust is exhibited in the King Richard III Visitor Centre in Leicester.

Recent genetic research by the University of Leicester now suggests that Richard III would have probably had blue eyes and blond hair (in childhood), although this would have possibly darkened as he aged.

Facial reconstruction of Richard III produced by University of Dundee and funded by the Richard III Society

Voice of a King

Research at the University of Leicester can even give us a clue as to what Richard sounded like. Dr Philip Shaw, Lecturer in English Language and Old English in our School of English, has studied two letters written by Richard when he was Duke of Gloucester. In this podcast , you can hear Dr Shaw read these letters using the approximate pronunciation and accent that we believe Richard would have used. Interestingly, the language and spelling betrays no sign of a northern dialect, being closer to what we now consider a West Midlands accent.